Tag: Designed

SpaceX Launches First Satellites Designed to Connect Directly to Smartphones

Space News reports that SpaceX “launched its first batch of Starlink satellites designed to connect directly to unmodified smartphones Jan. 2 after getting a temporary experimental license to start testing the capability in the United States.” Six of the 21 Starlink satellites “that launched on a Falcon 9 rocket at 10:44 p.m. Eastern from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, carry a payload that the company said could provide connectivity for most 4G LTE devices when in range.” SpaceX plans to “start enabling texting from space this year in partnership with cellular operators, with voice and data connectivity coming in 2025, although the company still needs regulatory permission to provide the services commercially.” Initial direct-to-smartphone tests “would use cellular spectrum from SpaceX’s US mobile partner T-Mobile.” SpaceX has also “partnered with mobile operators in Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, New Zealand, and Switzerland.”
Full Story (Space News)

 

Video

SpaceX 1st Starlink to Cell Sat Launch, 10:44 p.m. ET, from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California
(The Launch Pad; YouTube)

Future Space Missions Are Being Designed to Take Advantage of New Generation of Very Large Launch Vehicles

The Space Review reported on future space missions being designed “to take advantage of a new generation of very large launch vehicles” that will “offer greater mass and volume” at lower prices. SpaceX’s Starship and Blue Origin’s New Glenn have been considered as possible options for several NASA missions. NASA’s expensive Space Launch System has also been examined for future missions, although it will only be used for Artemis missions through the late 2020s. Panelists at the ASCEND space event “argued that science missions were needed to increase the SLS flight rate and make that vehicle more sustainable.”
Full Story (The Space Review)

AIAA Statement on ULA Vulcan Centaur Launch

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 8, 2024 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) issued the following statement from AIAA CEO Dan Dumbacher:

“Congratulations to the ULA team on today’s Vulcan Centaur Launch! It is exciting to witness this new space launch capability complete its first certification mission. We are pleased to see the positive results of ULA’s partnership with Blue Origin to develop and utilize two BE-4 engines on the vehicle.

We are thrilled to follow Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander’s journey to the moon. This mission is an important part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative to deliver science and technology to the lunar service. We are encouraged to see commercial space companies advancing technology in the cislunar ecosystem. Expanding the boundaries leads to success.

AIAA recognizes the countless industry professionals making this mission a success. We applaud AIAA Corporate Member ULA for making important contributions to shaping the future of aerospace.”

Media contact: Rebecca Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270

About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit aiaa.org or follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, andInstagram.

Video

ULA’s Vulcan rocket, carrying lunar lander, launches for the first time
(Spaceflight Now; YouTube)